Bcom Week 4 “Knowing Your Audience”
“Knowing Your Audience”
June 17, 2012
Axia University
BCOM 275 – “Business Communication and Critical Thinking”
Alicia Snedeker
On August 5, 2010, in San Jose, Chile a small copper mine owned by the MINERA company suffered a collapse. The mine collapse trapped 33 miners underground. No one had any idea if the miners could even survive being trapped 300 meters below ground with limited food, water, and oxygen. After four days of the miners being trapped no one still had any idea if anyone was even alive. After 18 days, confirmation came from written messages and via a cell phone passed through small holes that were made, that all 33 miners were still alive, hungry but still alive (Weik, 2010). In this case fortunately, after a long 69 days all 33 miners were rescued with no lives lost. A tragedy like this one situation is always unexpected and questions are brought to the surface that no one is prepared for. Such questions would be, what does an employer tell the families of the miners trapped inside the mine? and, what does the employer tell the other employees? Communications such as these must keep the audience in mind and must be handled delicately. What are some considerations to remember given the different roles and people in the audience? Some considerations a person needs to consider especially when dealing with the victim’s families and the employees are the different roles and the different people involved. If the audience is not taken into consideration when getting the message out then the communication could be lost, incomplete, or be misunderstood which could leave the audience angry and misinformed. When communicating with the families a sense of empathy and sympathy should be used. Also promptness should be used when delivering the message. An employer should make sure the victims families are notified as soon as possible so that the families do not have to hear what has happened to their loved ones on the news.
June 17, 2012
Axia University
BCOM 275 – “Business Communication and Critical Thinking”
Alicia Snedeker
On August 5, 2010, in San Jose, Chile a small copper mine owned by the MINERA company suffered a collapse. The mine collapse trapped 33 miners underground. No one had any idea if the miners could even survive being trapped 300 meters below ground with limited food, water, and oxygen. After four days of the miners being trapped no one still had any idea if anyone was even alive. After 18 days, confirmation came from written messages and via a cell phone passed through small holes that were made, that all 33 miners were still alive, hungry but still alive (Weik, 2010). In this case fortunately, after a long 69 days all 33 miners were rescued with no lives lost. A tragedy like this one situation is always unexpected and questions are brought to the surface that no one is prepared for. Such questions would be, what does an employer tell the families of the miners trapped inside the mine? and, what does the employer tell the other employees? Communications such as these must keep the audience in mind and must be handled delicately. What are some considerations to remember given the different roles and people in the audience? Some considerations a person needs to consider especially when dealing with the victim’s families and the employees are the different roles and the different people involved. If the audience is not taken into consideration when getting the message out then the communication could be lost, incomplete, or be misunderstood which could leave the audience angry and misinformed. When communicating with the families a sense of empathy and sympathy should be used. Also promptness should be used when delivering the message. An employer should make sure the victims families are notified as soon as possible so that the families do not have to hear what has happened to their loved ones on the news.
References: Weik, J. (2010). Over 30 workers trapped after Chilean mine collapse. Retrieved June 14, 2012 from EBSCOhost discovery service University of Phoenix library. http://www.web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/ehost/delivery?sid=6ee3d3aa-8419-4 Weik, J